How Far Ahead Can You Book Your Flights?
One of the top and best suggestions you’ll always get from anyone to get best prices on the airfare is to book early. Everyone suggests that if you book your flights early, you’ll be able to save the most amount of money on your air tickets. Undoubtedly, booking flights well beforehand is one of the best advices we too can give you; however, there is yet another question that lies ahead of this. How much beforehand?
Absolutely! There has to be a limit on how much in advance one can book a flight, right? You just can’t go ahead and book flight years in advance. This is the reason most of the airlines have a limit to advance booking, which means that one cannot book a flight in advance beyond a certain limit.
Let us put a little light for you on how many days in advance you can book your flight. In later part of this article, we’ll also discuss whether booking far ahead in advance really saves money or not. First of all, let’s discuss the major airlines that operate on US and India route. And how many days in advance at maximum you can book your flight.
There are four major airlines that operate between USA and India, namely:
1. Air India
2. United Airlines
3. American Airlines
4. Delta Airlines
Now, let us tell you one by one on how many days, at max in advance, you are allowed to book an international flight on all the aforementioned airlines.
Air India
For all the international flights on Air India, one can make an online booking at least 4 hours before the departure is scheduled. This means that the online bookings stay open only until 4 hours before the scheduled departure and you can’t book the flight after this stipulated time. On the other hand, when it comes to booking in advance, Air India allows you to book your flight up to 361 days in advance before the scheduled department. This means that you can book your international flight almost an year in advance when it comes to Air India.
United Airlines
When it comes to United Airlines, it allows you to book an international flight around 330 days in advance; well, that quite a lot of time; however, not as long as what Air India, as discussed above, allows. In case one wishes to book their flight just as the booking window opens, we suggest against this, as the initial prices may still be high. We would not suggest you to make such a mistake of booking a United Airlines flight so early, especially not about 330 days in advance.
American Airlines
Just like the United Airlines, the American Airlines also allows similar window of about 331 days for advance booking for an international flight. When it comes to the latest booking of flight tickets for international flight, you can book it up to 2 hours before departure. Either of these bookings can be done on American Airlines website or web application.
Delta Airlines
The time-frame for advance booking of international flight on Delta Airlines is also the same as American Airlines and United Airlines, i.e., 330 days. That’s quite a fair bit of time to book an international flight in advance.
Out of all the above airlines, Air India gives the maximum window for advance booking for international flight of almost one year (361 days to be precise).
Does booking your flight well in advance really save you money?
Well, as we discussed advance time-frames offered by different airlines on USA-India route. The question arises whether it really saves money to book your air ticket so much in advance, i.e., 360 days, 330 days, etc. Another thing to ponder upon is that what’s the point of booking so far in advance with so much uncertainty? Well, let us tell you an insider’s tip. In general, the best airfares are offered by the airline companies generally around six months before the scheduled departure, and not when the booking window opens. So, there is no point of booking your international flight almost one year in advance. And yes, it won’t save you any money in doing so.
The best time to book your international air ticket is around 6 months before the scheduled departure. This is time when most of the queries start pouring in, and airlines want to fill the seats as soon as possible and confirm their revenue for that particular flight. The remaining seats (most) generally fill around 30-60 days before the scheduled departure.
The bottom line
So, now you know that there is no set relation between the airfare you pay and how far in advance you book the ticket. Therefore, you don’t need to rush into booking your air tickets far in advance unless you really have to. Remember, booking in advance doesn’t always save you money!
In any case, if you wish to save the most on your flights. It is suggested to get in touch with us at +1-844-211-1766 or e-mail us at info@surffares.com. You may even visit our www.surffares.com to get the best prices on advance flight booking, on all USA-India routes.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
1. How far in advance can I book a flight?
Generally, most airlines allow you to book flights up to 11 months in advance. However, this can vary by airline and destination. So it’s always best to check directly with the airline or call us for detailed information.
2. Is there a best time to book flights for the best prices?
Yes! It’s often recommended to book international flights about 2 to 6 months ahead of your travel date. Prices can fluctuate based on demand, so monitoring fare trends can be beneficial.
3. Can I book a flight for a year from now?
Yes, many airlines allow you to book flights up to a year in advance, though some may have shorter booking periods. Be sure to check your preferred airline’s policies or call us for detailed information.
4. What happens if my plans change after I book?
Most airlines offer options for changes or cancellations, but policies can vary widely. Check the fare conditions when you book to understand any fees or restrictions associated with changing your flight.
5. Are there advantages to booking early?
Booking early can give you access to lower fares and a wider selection of flight times and seats. Popular routes may sell out quickly, so booking in advance can secure your preferred itinerary.
6. Are there disadvantages to booking too early?
Yes, booking too early can mean you miss out on better deals that may arise closer to your departure date. Additionally, if your plans change, you might incur change fees or lose money on non-refundable tickets.
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